Adjustable and portable shelving



(No Model.)

B. T. ROBERTS.

' ADJUSTABLE AND PORTABLE SHBLVING.

Patented May 15,1883.

Acc'omayi IN VENTO)? 1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN nonnars, or LEON, IOWA.

ADJUSTABLE AND PORTABLE SHELVING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 277,510, dated May 15, 1883.

Application filed February 12, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN F. Ronnnrs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Leon, in the county of Decatur and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Adjustable and Portable Shelving; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying draw in gs, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon. which form a part of this specification.

Myinvention relates to shelves and shelving for stores, libraries, and the like; and the novelty consists in the construction, arrangement, and adaptation of parts, as will be more fully hereinafter set forth, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

The objects sought to be attained by the invention are, essentially: first, to provide portable shelves readily raised or lowered in their bearings; second, to prevent suohshelves from saggiugin their centers; third,to provide means for raising or lowering both shelves and bearings at will; and, fourth, to provide means for holding the complete device snugly against the wall.

The device as shown, and as it will be de scribed, represents a system of shelving for stores, the lower portion having doors or drawers, and the upper portion consisting of shelves adapted to expose book-titles or goods.

In the accompanying'drawings, Figure l is a vertical transverse section; Fig. 2, a horizontal section, with one of the shelf cleats ,or brackets in plan. Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the lines y y of Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a perspective view of one of the rack-standards;

' Fig. 5, a perspective view of one of the shelfbrackets, and Fig. 6 a cross-section of the latter through the line on w.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the wall, and B the floor.

(J designates a proper frame, having the lower edge of its transverse supports beveled from front to rear, as shown at c. Athreaded rod, D, passes through the top (1" near its 56 junction with the wall, and is provided with a nut, d, upon its upper end, the other end engaging an eye in a bolt, (1, which is screwed into the floor B. The object of bevelin g the transverse supports of the frame 0, as above with a foot, E, having a threaded perforation, f, through which operates a threaded bar, F,

set in proper bearings upon the floor, at f,

and having a convenient handle,f above the top 0, the bar F being journaled therein.

Formed in one piece with the standards E, or

secured thereto, are 'cappieces G, carrying friction-rollers g, which traverse the wall-surfaces, and to these cap-pieces G are secured the moldings g. Uprights H are arranged vertically in juxtaposition with the front edges of the shelves when in place.

I represents the shelf-brackets, having pawl projections i, hooks i, which engage the guides e, and .upon their upper surfaces one or more pins or projections, 6 which said projections are adapted to engage corresponding apertures in the shelves K.

It will thus be seen that not only may the shelves be adjusted at any distances apart, as may be desired, but that the standards themselves,which carry the shelves, are capable of vertical adjustment at will. The nibs or projections a" hold the shelves from lateral displacement and tend to prevent sagging.

Modifications in details of construction may be made without departing from the principle or sacrificing the advantages of my invention, the essential features of which will be readily understood-as, for instance, other means for elevating or depressing the standards may be employed.

It will be understood that iron-work-such as plates, bearings, &c.-are used where friction, wear, or strain would suggest such expedients. I

What I claim as new is-- I 1. In-combination with vertically-adj ustable raclcstandards and shelves K, the shelf-brack- IOC ets I, adapted to be adjusted on such stand- 6 and guides e, the shelf-brackets I, "having ards, as set forth. hooks 'i, pawl z, and pins '5 and. shelves K, 2. In combination with the frame 0, having combined with the means, substantially as debeveled supports, the rod 1), nut d, and floorscribed, for adjusting the said standards ver- 1 5 5 bolt d, as and for the purposes set forth. tically, as set forth.

3. In combination with adjustable shelf-bear- In testimony whereof I affix'my signature in ing standards and shelves having means for presence of two witnesses. vertical adjustment thereon, the threaded rod BENJAMIN I ROBERTS. F, having handle f and operating as and for Witnesses: v

I0 the purposes set forth. J. P. LAYTON,

4. The adjustable standards E, having rack W. T. KELLEY. 

